The Story of the Week: Christopher Dorner -- Cult Hero?

Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post about this Friday's Story of the Week being recorded as a Google Plus Hangout. One story that caught my attention, but that wasn't mentioned in the blog post, was the manhunt for Christopher Dorner, the ex-Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of killing four people. Dorner was killed in a standoff with police on Tuesday.

Some people have taken to social media to express their solidarity with Dorner. There are over 24,500 "likes" on a Facebook page called "We Stand With Christopher Dorner," describing Dorner as an "American hero." There's also a Twitter handle, @WeRChrisDorner, that has over 2,200 followers.

I spoke with Jennifer Carlson, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, about what’s behind the outpouring of sympathy for Dorner. You can watch our conversation above.

I'm also curious to know what you think. Why do accused killers like Dorner, Luka Magnotta, and James Holmes attract supporters? Why do people use social media to express sympathy with them? Do they deserve any sympathy?